Thursday, April 14, 2011

fresh to death

At the risk of over-simplifying things, I feel like it is pretty safe to say that most guys have a pretty basic template of clothing: jeans & a t-shirt, perhaps a sweater or hoodie if it's cold out. Obviously there are other components such as shorts and jackets, but that is the basic male outfit, right? So, if a guy wants to stand out a bit or add some of his own touch to his ensemble, he's got to work a little bit harder at it than us girls may have to, and that is where accessories come in. I talked to several guys I know who put in that extra little creative touch with things like hats, shoes, belts, glasses, etc, to add a little bit of freshness to their style. Here are my findings.
Raleigh:

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Raleigh definitely has great style (one of the 23814 reasons that I love him) and he isn't afraid to experiment with different pieces. I could do a whole post about the crazy t-shirts he wears and all of his interesting jackets, etc, but that's for another time. He also has a love for shoes - he has a ton, but I just photographed my three favorite pairs. Raleigh's taken to wearing backward caps lately, making him look a little mischievious, which I love. The necklace was a Christmas present from me last year (from Urban Outfitters) that he wears everyday.

Chris:

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I ran into Chris while photographing someone else, but his bag caught my eye: a great alternative to the average backpack.

Ryland:

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Ryland has eclectic style, the type to wear short-shorts one day & a tweed blazer the next; or perhaps the two paired together. I thought his watch was really interesting, and though the helmet and longboard might not seem like accessories, I would argue that they are! The longboard, when carried, shows the bottom design which definitely adds some color to his all-over image. And the helmet, well, he insisted that it was an accessory, so that's that.

Branden:

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Branden's style isn't in-your-face trendy; it's more subtle, with attention to small details (for example, the cuffed jeans paired with the shoes). I've seen him wear these shoes with argyle socks before, which was a pretty precious touch to his outfit. His beanie + glasses combo also complemented his jeans/button-up combo.

Michael:

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Michael almost always has a hat on, even if it's paired with a button-up shirt or cardigan, which I love: it's his signature look. The bracelets are also a subtle touch that add an interesting dimension to an everyday look.

Patrick:

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Pat's ensemble was a great example of how an accessory can spice up an otherwise plain outfit: he was wearing the classic white tee & jean template, but his shoes were the something special that took his ensemble to the next level.

Peter:

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Peter is definitely one of the most out-there friends I have, fashion-wise. This hat and sweater combination is pretty normal for him: Peter is definitely not one to shy away from mixing all sorts of colors and prints. Usually he's barefoot (as he was when I first took his picture that day) but I was impressed when I saw what shoes he had with him. The sweater is pretty eye-catching on its own, but when the hat and shoes are added to the outfit, it's a whole new ballgame.

Bryce

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Bryce has a really nice camera & some sick lenses, and I love the case he carries them in. My camera case, though bejeweled, is a boring black one from Best Buy so I'm jealous of this vintage-looking one that is both stylish and functional. It makes him look distinguished, don't you think?

Elliott

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Elliott definitely has some fresh style, and unique as well. His glasses are the classic Ray Bans & his belt a classic leather, but his other accessories are definitely new twists. The gold watch he's so proud of not only tells the time but has a full calculator on it, and his boombox that he usually wears on his shoulder makes sure he gets attention wherever he goes.

Last but not least Ryan, a friend from growing up, sent me a picture of his favorite accessory: the tie. His look says formal but a bit laid-back at the same time, which I think is great!

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I had a lot of fun looking for & photographing the different ways guys use accessories to show their personalities through their clothing. Thanks to everyone who let me pry into their closets + invade their personal space to get these photos! Well done, men.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peter's shoes are SIQQ

Sarah said...

This is a super cool feature. I never really stopped to think about how challenging it must be for guys to create their own style with much fewer choices.

Theresa said...

DIG this post. I honestly love guys style in general, and these guys are great. I love how the smallest details can really make a person!

daydreaming said...

fell in love with the riingss<3